GAA Jim class is paying dividends in Donegal
Tyrone’s Morgan relishing a Ulster semi-final showdown
NIALL Morgan says Donegal have always had unbelievable players - but he reckons they look like “different animals” under Jim McGuinness.
Morgan’s Tyrone will crash into Donegal at Celtic Park this Sunday in an eagerly awaited Ulster semifinal with Armagh or Down on the other side of the draw.
McGuinness’ side are fresh from toppling Derry with a shock four goal salvo and landing the Division 2 title at Croke Park.
Donegal’s only defeat across 13 games in McGuinness’ second coming as manager came against Derry in the McKenna Cup final back in January, although they drew with Armagh in the group stages of the League.
Meanwhile, Tyrone stumbled through last weekend’s Ulster quarter final against Cavan, requiring extra-time at Kingspan Breffni Park.
Together
However, they had nine championship debutants, who featured regularly as they retained their Division 1 status despite a huge turnover of players.
Morgan (31) says it’s as together a Tyrone squad as he’s been involved in for a long time, but Donegal will still go into Sunday’s tie as favourites to advance to the Ulster final.
“They (Donegal) were super (against Derry) and I suppose we all knew with Jim coming back that they were going to bring something different,” said the Edendork club man and 2021 All Star and All-Ireland winner.
“You could have sort of sensed that they had been planning for Derry all throughout the League.
“They didn’t seem concerned about anything else. They got their game plan right and they toppled them well.
“They will be a completely different proposition to the side that we met early in the year in the McKenna Cup and we are expecting a massive, massive battle.
“They have some unbelievable players with boys who have been there this last three or four years.
“But this year they look like completely different animals. So we know that we have a lot of homework to do this week.
“They look so fit and I suppose they look like the Donegal of old in terms of their fitness.
Different
“Ryan McHugh and Brendan McCole look like different players this year and I was very impressed with (Caolan) McGonagle at six.
“You then have (Jason) Magee and (Michael) Langan in the middle and Ciaran Thompson there as well.
“All players who are six foot two or over and that is a big plus in that sector of the field.
“Up front they have firepower as well and are ruthless. They are just a very impressive side throughout and they have all bought into what Jim wants to do.
“Jim strikes me as someone that if you don’t buy into what he is doing you can hit the road.
“He has been a massive plus coming back in for Donegal this season and come Sunday it will be up to us to try and foil them.” Tyrone had the Cavan game well under control until they shipped two goals in a second half spell when AllIreland winning captain, Padraig Hamspey was off the field on a black card.
But they rode out a rough spell with their young brigade to the fore.
“In fairness, they (young players) have carried us during the League and they stood up there,” said Morgan. “Players like Ciaran Daly, Sean O’Donnell, Ben Cullen coming on and scoring a point and Joe Oguz having a (below inset) Donegal manager Jim McGuinness massive part to play, as well as Niall Devlin, who has been a massive leader this year.
“There is a nice blend of the old and the new and we pulled together.
“It might not look like it from the outside looking in but this team is the most together team that we have had in a long time.
“You probably seen that in extra time when everybody was looking to dig each other out.”
Morgan has one area of concern though that he says Tyrone have to get right.
Massive
“We have been shipping too many goals,” he remarked.
“I think we had only one clean sheet in the League, and losing three like we did against Cavan won’t be good enough against Donegal.
“We need to work at that this week in training and try and close that down.
“Because we don’t score a lot of goals ourselves and as you saw against Cavan, getting goals are massive momentum changers in games.”